• WHAT: 35th annual Riverbank Cheese & Wine Exposition
• WHEN: Today from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• WHERE: Downtown Riverbank. Take Highway 120 east to Oakdale. Turn right on Highway 108 at the main traffic light in Oakdale and follow Highway 108 to Riverbank.
• COST: Free admission. Wine tasting is $35.
• NOTES: Free cheese sampling, 200 vendor booths, petting zoo, pony rides, two entertainment stages, beer and microbrews, wine tasting.
RIVERBANK — Children’s entertainment at the Cheese and Wine Expo will include slides, rides and games set up by Classic Entertainment of the Bay Area and a petting zoo provided by Oakdale rancher Shane New.
The 100 foot, three-lane Super Slide with other amusements will be located on Sixth Street adjacent to the Teen Center, said Classic Entertainment owner George D’Olivo.
The huge slide reminds adults of their youth, he noted, and generally attracts all ages. He also plans on bringing Wild Rafter, Frog Hopper with a 20-foot drop tower, Mini Rocking Tugboat and Dizzy Dragons, just to name a few. Tickets will be sold in four different discount packs.
New, for the petting zoo, is planning to bring goats, a llama and donkeys for the children to pet or ride but also was not sure where he would be allocated space for the zoo. It was close to the Designs By Karen florist’s store last year and featured pony rides by animals tethered to walk in a circle in addition to goats and other animals to pet.
